Bag-in-box packages are well known for containing and dispensing liquids such as syrup for post-mix soft drink dispensers. Such known packages include an outer protective and supporting box made of corrugated cardboard and an inner, flexible, collapsible plastic bag containing the syrup. The plastic bag has a spout for feeding the syrup to the post-mix beverage dispenser via a hose and a pump. A plastic dip strip or dip tube is often included within the bag to assist in withdrawing the syrup. The dip strip prevents the bag from collapsing upon itself while the syrup is being withdrawn.
An example of a commercially available bag with a dip strip positioned therein is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,511 to Bond. This reference describes a plastic bag with a spout on one end. A "plastic evacuation insert" or a dip strip has a mounting ring with a multi-channel dip strip extending radially therefrom. The dip strip is connected directly to the spout and directly across from the mouth of the spout. The dip strip does not extend the entire length of the bag.
Although the design of this dip strip assists in withdrawing the fluid from the bag, the design has several drawbacks. First, because the dip strip is not anchored at both ends, the free end of the dip strip on occasion can puncture the lower end of the bag. Further, the free end of the dip strip may become twisted or curved within the bag and allow a portion of the bag to become sealed off and inaccessible. Second, because the spout and the dip strip are directly connected, the fluid fill time of the bag is somewhat slow and inadequate. There is insufficient clearance between the spout and the dip strip to allow a high volume of fluid to be poured into the bag in a given amount of time. The dip strip and the spout create a bottle-neck effect limiting the fill time of the bag. Third, the attachment of the dip strip directly across from the spout also allows the incoming stream of fluid to knock or dislodge the dip strip away from the spout. Once the dip strip is dislodged, the bag wall opposite the spout may be sucked into the spout. The spout is then sealed off although the bag still contains fluid.
Another example of a bag with a dip strip therein is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,493 to Boone, et al., owned by The Coca-Cola Company, the assignee of the present invention. This reference shows, among other things, a ribbed dip strip sealed between the upper and lower bag walls at the top and bottom ends. This design provides sufficient clearance between the dip strip and the spout so as to permit faster fill time because the dip strip and the spout are not directly connected. Further, because both ends of the dip strip are anchored, the dip strip remains in place at all times to reduce the likelihood of the bag collapsing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,493 is incorporated herein by reference.
A further improvement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,596. U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,596 is incorporated herein by reference. This reference also shows, among other things, a bag with a ribbed dip strip sealed between the upper and lower bag walls at the top and bottom ends. In this reference, however, the ends of the dip strip that are sealed within the bag walls are notched so as to remove the ribbed portion of the dip strip from the seal. By removing this portion of the dip strip, a higher quality seal is possible between the bag walls and the dip strip. Application Ser. No. 09/041,609, Appendix A attached hereto, describes in detail the apparatus and the method of manufacture of such a pouch in a high-speed, efficient manner.